one step too far lisa gardner

In her past life, Monica Woodard is the eldest daughter of the Woodard family, Lexford City's most prominent household. Lost due to her mother's mistake, she grows up in an orphanage until her biological father finds her. Desperate to win the love of her parents and two brothers,Monica endures countless provocations and schemes from the adopted daughter, Alyvia Woodard. Rather than earning her family's affection, her patience only allows Alyvia to poison their relationships further. The family, prioritizing the adopted daughter's feelings, neglects and scorns their biological daughter. Ultimately,through Alyvia's machinations, Monica dies tragically.

Leon sacrificed his own career to be a stay-at-home husband for five years, supporting Janice's professional ambitions. However, his silent dedication was met with nothing but cold indifference. After a terminal cancer diagnosis, he left her the divorce papers and disappeared. Janice was initially unmoved, but the growing void in her life and the revelation of all he had done for her—followed by the false news of his death—plunged her into desperate regret, sparking a frantic search. Unknown to her, Leon had been saved and nursed back to health by his doctor, Lydia. As he healed emotionally with her support, their relationship deepened into love. When a remorseful Janice found him and begged for another chance, he firmly rejected her. Instead, he and Lydia, who had cherished him for a decade, committed to marriage. At their wedding, Janice confronted the full reality of her loss, while Leon and Lydia embarked on their new life together.

April Simpson takes the blame for murder to protect Reuben Rogers.Seven years later, now facing execution, she's granted ten days of compassionate leave to earn money for her mother's surgery by working as a hostess. There she encounters Reuben, who has become a business mogul. Believing she abandoned him for money years ago, he humiliates her with his wealth. On execution day, Dexter Edwards arrives with new evidence that saves her life.After her release, April desperately needs a liver transplant due to complications from her previous donation. But Reuben forcibly takes the donor liver for Kiara Simpson instead, causing April's mother to die suddenly. In despair, April attempts suicide. Finally learning the truth, a maddened Reuben searches frantically until he finds April, but she now suffers from amnesia. He carefully guards this final tenderness between them, but the truth will eventually shatter this fragile peace.

On the night she was abandoned, Lillian Lowell set fire to her grandmother's yard with her own hands. Amid the roaring flames, she met Shane Lloyd, the bloodied heir to the Lloyd family. He took her in, playing a careful game, intending to use this "thorny rose" to disrupt the balance between their two powerful families. But with each of her fierce counterattacks, he found himself falling deeper. From then on—he sparks the fire, she fans the flames; he sets the trap, she breaks the game. A woman of fierce clarity and a man of meticulous schemes join forces to crush their enemies, finding redemption in each other's chaos. Between calculation and sincerity, they burn a path through the ashes to a new future.

Everyone knows Colin Dunn and I are trapped in a loveless marriage. We don’t love each other.On the night of our fifth wedding anniversary, I am attacked in my own home.Desperate, I call him for help—only to hear the line go dead. For the sake of his first love, he hangs up… and abandons me.

In their previous life, Fabian Quinn only realized after marrying Laurel Sweeney that she had never truly let go of Ian Solis, her first love. When she got the news of Ian's death, grief consumed her. Without hesitation, she took the abortion pills and ended her life. In an effort to save her, Fabian tragically lost his own life. When they opened their eyes once more, everything had changed. This time, Laurel chose Ian, the man who had always held a special place in her heart, while Laurel, in his rebirth, became the wealthiest man alive. In this life, their paths are completely different...

Evelyn, heartbroken by her boyfriend's infidelity, drowned her sorrows in alcohol and unexpectedly had a one-night stand with renowned pilot Grayson. Afterward, fate kept them apart. Evelyn forgot what Grayson looked like, but Grayson fell head over heels for her at first sight. He found her lost employee badge and sent his assistant to track her down. Unfortunately, the assistant made a mistake—Evelyn's coworker Katie claimed the badge and impersonated her, sparking a series of misunderstandings and conflicts between Evelyn and Grayson. Finally, heartbroken and disillusioned, Evelyn accepts her friend Liam's proposal for a fake marriage to comfort her ailing grandmother. Just then, Grayson returns and publicly steals the bride...‍

Leroy was the concubine's son — the one the family never truly accepted. Banished to the graveyard, he became the apprentice of Madam Gibson, the Grave Keeper. At the Martial Arts Tournament, Leroy's brilliance finally blazed forth, only to draw the ire of Fairy Ember, Elder of the Ebonveil Sect. When despair swallowed all hope, Madam Gibson revealed a power that shook the heavens.With a single sweep of her hand, she silenced the crowd, her sword aimed at the sky: "In all this world, who dares to harm my disciple?" And so began a battle that would span the Three Realms—a clash of fate, pride, and divine power.

Mia Falcone, the Don’s daughter, gave up everything for Leo Romano after he took three bullets to save her. For seven years, she lived in secrecy as his wife, raising their son without a name. After Leo’s brother died, his widow, Jasmine Moretti, returned, and Leo chose her and ambition over blood. When the humiliation threatens her son, Ethan, Mia walks away and returns to her true identity. As Leo desperately tries to win back the woman he lost, Mia teaches him a fatal lesson: he didn’t just break a heart—he declared war on the wrong bloodline.

April Simpson takes the blame for murder to protect Reuben Rogers.Seven years later, now facing execution, she's granted ten days of compassionate leave to earn money for her mother's surgery by working as a hostess. There she encounters Reuben, who has become a business mogul. Believing she abandoned him for money years ago, he humiliates her with his wealth. On execution day, Dexter Edwards arrives with new evidence that saves her life.After her release, April desperately needs a liver transplant due to complications from her previous donation. But Reuben forcibly takes the donor liver for Kiara Simpson instead, causing April's mother to die suddenly. In despair, April attempts suicide. Finally learning the truth, a maddened Reuben searches frantically until he finds April, but she now suffers from amnesia. He carefully guards this final tenderness between them, but the truth will eventually shatter this fragile peace.

Twenty years ago, Quilla saved Yosef and his family by chance.The two fell in love over time, and she chose to stay with Yosef, raising his three children as her own. Twenty years later,the ex-wife Mary reappears. Emotionally, the three children lean more toward their birth mother, so the family decides to drive away Quilla, the only "outsider".Heartbroken, she cuts ties with them for good.Meanwhile, the Grant family's business begins to decline,and Mary proves to be nothing but a gold-digger.They finally remember Quilla's kindness and try to win her back, but her heart is already dead, and she starts a new life.

The orphan girl Renee was bullied to the point of disability in the family that adopted her, and was forced to marry in place of their biological daughter, Isabelle. The groom, Leander,pretended to be blind to investigate the cause of his parents' death, and he witnessed Renee being bullied. In reality, Renee had the identity of the AI master "Nutien," and Leander turned out to be her long-time mentor. The two progressed from testing each other to trusting one another,joining forces to bring the villains to justice. In the end, Leander proposed, and Renee began a happy life with him.

Everyone knows Colin Dunn and I are trapped in a loveless marriage. We don’t love each other.On the night of our fifth wedding anniversary, I am attacked in my own home.Desperate, I call him for help—only to hear the line go dead. For the sake of his first love, he hangs up… and abandons me.

Lost for years, Murphy is finally reunited with the powerful Sinclair family, only to be framed by the adopted son Yves. In the end, he’s burned to death by his own sisters. By a twist of fate, Murphy is reborn five years earlier. This time, he cuts all ties with the family and chooses to be a farmer. He finds the Magic Spring, grows priceless produce, rises to the top, finds love, and watches the Sinclair family collapse from within.

Six years ago, Nora Carson spent a night with the formidable Perry Moore. Unwilling to be seen as a gold digger, she chose to walk away without looking back—never realizing she was carrying his child. Now, six years later, her aunt is pressuring her into an unwanted marriage. Desperate for a way out, she has no choice but to send her daughter to find the one man she once left behind. And just like that, their fates intertwine once more, setting the stage for a love story neither of them saw coming.

While helping her sister Liza Seatter escape an abusive relationship, Zoey Seatter encounters mercenary Adrian Morris and his brother Franklin Morris.Zoey has a one-night stand with Adrian and discovers she’s pregnant a month later. Just as she’s about to terminate the pregnancy, Adrian appears and proposes marriage, bringing both Zoey and Liza home to live with them. Under the same roof, Zoey gradually wins over Adrian’s heart, while Franklin slowly falls for Liza. After surviving a jewelry store robbery, attending prenatal classes, and dealing with Liza’s abusive ex, the four of them finally find their happily ever after.

After performing surgery on John Watt, who was severely injured in the countryside, Julia Norton left. Due to excessive blood loss, John didn't get a good look at Julia's face.Meanwhile, because of a marriage contract set by her grandfather, Julia married John and began a 100-day married life with him!

In her past life, Yvonne Grant gave everything to Marcus Quinn, only to be betrayed and deceived. Reborn on the very day she must choose a fiancé, she turns away from her first love Marcus and instead chooses Quintus Dalton, a man destined to become a tech magnate. As they spend time together, Yvonne uncovers his long-hidden feelings and years of quiet devotion. Realizing that Quintus is the one she was truly meant to love, she confronts Marcus with the truth that he once mistook another woman for her. Free at last from her old obsessions, Yvonne opens her heart to the man who has always stood by her side.